Feeling too skinny when you get to goal weight?

lilly57573

Hi!
I hit my goal weight recently and went on maintenance but i'm not happy.
I am in a healthy range,i'm 5'3 and weigh 114,but i feel like i'm too skinny and i don't like the way i look,i just feel underweight regardless of what the BMI said.
Did this happen to anyone else? Would gaining weight be a bad idea?

MakePeasNotWar

I assume as long as you stay within your healthy weight range (you have a lot of room here), gaining a few pounds would not be a problem. Try to make it muscle if you can; do some heavy lifting and make sure you are getting adequate protein. Skinny fat isn't any healthier than overweight.

ETA: at 140lbs, you would still be considered healthy by BMI standards (24.8), so you have lots of room to gain before you need to worry.

beastcompany

BMI is highly inaccurate and really should be disregarded for determining body weight goals.

If I was to follow the BMI scale, I'd technically be "obese" simply due to the fact that I'm 183lbs at my current height.


Base your goals on how you look & feel.

If you think you're too skinny, spend some time bulking and developing a base of lean mass to balance out your physique and create a body image you're happier with.

RavenLibra

I say keep the body fat % where it's at and start adding muscle !!!

Sued0nim

Lift heavy and eat more ...I would look ridiculous much below a BMI of 25 I think...in fact I'm currently at 26 and thinking of stopping very soon and moving to maintenance

cwolfman13

lilly57573 wrote: »

Hi!
I hit my goal weight recently and went on maintenance but i'm not happy.
I am in a healthy range,i'm 5'3 and weigh 114,but i feel like i'm too skinny and i don't like the way i look,i just feel underweight regardless of what the BMI said.
Did this happen to anyone else? Would gaining weight be a bad idea?

The reason BMI is a range is because you have to account for different frame sizes, muscular structure, etc. This is why trying to hit a completely arbitrary scale number to try to get to some number just because it's at the low end or middle or whatever of BMI is ridiculous...you have to know your structure and take that into account. I am, for example, "overweight" according to BMI...but I'm 15% BF...and I'm by no means a body builder type...I just have an athletic build and a fair amount of muscle. I would look ridiculous at the low end of BMI, largely because I would have to burn up so much muscle...and really, I'd just look sickly at that point.

My wife and her best friend for example are both 5'2"...my wife has a very athletic body style with a larger bone structure...her best friend is a petite...my wife would look ridiculous at 110 because it just doesn't fit her body style and she would have to lose a lot of muscle to get there..but she looks awesome at 130 Lbs. Her petite little friend on the other hand would probably not look the best at 125 - 130...but she looks great at 110 - 115...because it fits her structure.

I would suggest getting into the weight room and lifting or otherwise doing a good resistance training program and work on muscle development and body composition. At minimum, eat at maintenance but you might want to eat at a small surplus

Iwishyouwell

I like the recommendation to lift.

But honestly I'd stay exactly where you are for a time. Losing weight is about far more than just physical changes, the mind plays an even bigger role. That "too skinny" feeling happens with a lot of people, even those who've shed a significant amount of weight but still are technically fat. It's also not uncommon for loved ones and co-workers to think you look "too skinny", even if you've got dozens of pounds left to lose.

Let your mind acclimate to you new size. If, after a good period of settling into your new look, you still feel too thin then, by all means, gain away.